LOS ANGELES — Heading into the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and right wing Justin Williams appeared to have put some distance between themselves and a small handful of teammates who were also in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But once the Kings won the 2014 Stanley Cup in Game 5 on defenseman Alec Martinez’ goal at 14:43 of the second overtime period, the choice was clear: the trophy had to go to veteran right wing Justin Williams.

Indeed, Williams was the best choice for the Conn Smythe Trophy, even though the Kings got outstanding performances from several players. But his play in the Stanley Cup Final, when he scored two goals and added five assists for seven points, with a +2 plus/minus rating and one game-winning goal, clinched the Conn Smythe Trophy, as he led all players in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final in scoring.

LA Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr, shown here with one of his two sons, during the on-ice celebration after the Kings won the 2014 Stanley Cup at Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 13, 2014.
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Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net

LOS ANGELES — On June 13, defenseman Alec Martinez scored at 14:43 of the second overtime period, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The victory eliminated the Rangers in five games, and gave the Kings their second Stanley Cup Championship in three seasons.

Although it probably seemed like an eternity to the players, it did not take too much time before National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman handed the Stanley Cup to Kings captain Dustin Brown at center ice.

With 17 interviews from the on-ice celebration, Frozen Royalty will have several stories coming later today and on Sunday. But for now, here’s something many Kings fans are anxiously awaiting…

As most Kings fans know, Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Bob Miller and color commentator Jim Fox were sidelined after the first round of the playoffs due to NBC’s exclusive rights to televise games from the second round on.

Although Miller and Fox were seen during pre-game and post-game shows, that is certainly not the same as hearing them on game telecasts. But like they did for the potential deciding games of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, Miller and Fox recorded their call of Friday’s Game 5 for later distribution.

“[The flight] was fine. Had a good Chilean Sea Bass,” said center Jarret Stoll, eliciting laughter from the media. “It was good. Food was great. Really good catering last night. Got a good three hours of sleep.”

The Kings eat quite well on their charter flights. But rest is often an entirely different matter, and as Stoll indicated, they did not get much sleep on the plane, and probably not much more that morning, given their 3:36 AM PDT arrival at Los Angeles International Airport. As such, it was surprising to see that some players chose to skate on Thursday afternoon, despite the lack of rest.

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — With the Los Angeles Kings on the verge of winning their second Stanley Cup Championship in the last three seasons, perhaps as soon as tonight, much has been said about their character and leadership qualities that have been on display throughout the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Indeed, leading the New York Rangers in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Kings could win the whole enchilada as soon as tonight, when the two teams face-off in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York (5:00 PM PDT; televised on NBCSN in the United States and on CBC and RDS in Canada).

Character and leadership are usually not even a thought in anyone’s mind while watching their favorite hockey team, and especially here in the Los Angeles area, those characteristics were often scoffed at by pundits and fans alike, who believed that skill and talent were all that mattered.

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